Call for Papers

Missouri Folklore Society Journal

Special Issue: Latinx and Chicanx in the Midwest

While the presence of Latinx and Chicanx in the Midwest region of the United States dates back over a century, few studies exist that document and analyze the cultural production of this group. The guest editors for this special issue of the Missouri Folklore Society Journal hope to bring together a variety of scholarly articles, testimonios, and creative work that explores the rich culture of the region as it pertains to the Latinx and Chicanx community. Immigrant and migrant cultural transformation of traditional expressions such as quinceañeras or particular foods have had an impact on the social fabric of the Midwest. We are looking for personal narratives or scholarly articles that explore such changes or document those that have existed in the area among the Mexicano community that has been in the area since the late nineteenth century.

Areas of interest for this special journal issue include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Foodways:  home cooking, Mexican restaurants, festival foods, tamales,
• Material Culture: piñatas, wood carving, cement structures, wrought iron, dolls, textiles, quilts, vernacular architecture, home altar decorations, garden statues, seamstress or tailors
• Festivals and Celebrations—Quinceañeras, weddings, 5 de mayo, naming ceremonies, community celebrations, religious celebrations,  interethnic or intercultural celebrations, Dia de Muertos, Christmas, Easter celebrations or practices, La Virgen de Guadalupe
• Dance--social dance, religious dance, matachines, ritual dancing,
• Music—conjunto, mariachi, lullabies, use of music in specific events, musicians
• Sports—baseball, soccer, hockey, etc.
• Oral literature and Narrative forms—La llorona, El cucuy, rhymes,
• Occupational Folklore—the railroad, restaurant work, fieldwork,
• Social justice issues: immigration, housing, wage theft,
• Folklore in literature from the area
• Specific sites: Chicago; Scottsbluff, NE; Gary, IN; St. Paul, Minn.;Detroit, MI; Kansas City, KS/MO; Topeka, KS

By November 15, 2016, submit a proposal indicating your intention to prepare a full paper  by  email  to  the  guest  editor  with  the title of the paper, authors, and a brief (150 word)  abstract. If accepted for submission, the full manuscript, as a word file, should be emailed to the guest editor by February 15, 2017. Authoring guidelines will be mailed after we receive your letter of intent.  Please feel free to contact the guest editor if you have any questions/concerns. 

Special Issue Theme:   Latinx and Chicanx in the Midwest

IMPORTANT DATES:  Intent to Submit:   November 15, 2016  --Full Version:  February 15, 2017

Decision Date:  March 30, 2017--Final Version:   June 30, 2017

Guest Editor: Norma E. Cantú   (ncantu@trinity.edu)